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Incinerating Flames
"Oh and before I dismiss you. You will have a chapter quiz over everything we've been going over this week on Friday! Be ready, and study hard!" A man standing behind a stand howled over the large auditorium filled with young adults. One of the students barked back, "Really Professor Kinsei?! We just took a quiz Monday, and we have another one in the next two days?! You should loosen up a bit Professor Kinsei. We're the only class that gets so many quizzes in such short increments. I hate having to spend my weekends in my room! Other classes say they haven't even taken a single test or quiz yet." The words from the student resonated throughout the classroom. The professor began to speak. "The thin-" He was cut off. "Ya' Professor K! Why're you doing us like this yo'?" Another student shouted. His speech was nothing short of a hideous slang, that would not get one far in the career field. The Professor closed his eyes, and began to speak yet again. "If you'd let me finish without interrupting... Er, em. Now, what I wanted to say is: The thing is, those classes are preforming poorly. Well, scratch that, they aren't preforming poorly, but bare minimum. This class alone is ranked number one among all other classes in this university. Now, Iori, you are more than welcomed to change to one of the other classes, by all means be my guest. But remember, your GPA will start from nothing, and we all know how lazy you are. Besides, the chances of you actually staying home to study are.... zero. Everyone in the class knows you cheat, but that's a secret we keep to ourselves." Iori, the boy who spoke first, dropped back into his seat with his arms folded pouting under his breath. Iori shifted his eyes to the papers on his desk, only to see they weren't his own. All with names that weren't his own. "Right, with that being said, class is dismissed. See you all tomorrow!" The entire class stood in unison, bowed their heads, then exited the class wildly. Among this group of behemoths flailing to exit the class, was a sleepy beauty who stood out from the rest of the females in the class. A ebony young woman, with blazing red eyes that would burn a man away. Long silk hair that free slowed without guidance, it split finely over her face exposing her facial features; further emphasizing her beauty. It one paid more attention they would notice who she was instantly — Tsubaki Kurogane — the famous Japanese professional singer. While everyone hurried out of the auditorium, Tsubaki remained calm and waiting for the class to empty. Once there was no sign of anyone, she grabbed her books and proceeded to exit the room. As she walked out the door, she turned to the left facing a list of names with a number next to names. She placed her finger on the laminated paper, showing off her pink colored finger nail, and maneuvered it until she found her name. The paper was ordered alphabetically by surnames, so it didn't take long for her to find her name. "A 2000. That's a perfect score, I didn't get anything wrong?" She sighed, walking away from the wall exiting the facility to the outside world. That outside world, so breathtaking and beautiful on the surface, hid its fair share of grim and dark secrets. As Tsubaki sat through the end of her school day, across town a rather peculiar battle had been unfolding. Three stood perched over a young man, a , saliva dripping from their fanged maws whilst a heady, warm air escaped into the air, carrying a scent of death that caused the Plus to recline as far back as he could. He was already against the wall however, so all that he managed to accomplish was the futile grasping of fear that was already plain on his face. Tears filled his eyes and his breathing had gone out of balance forever ago. Before the first of the alien creatures could take a bite of this fresh morsel, there was a quick whisper of noise, similar in sound to the nocking of an arrow. Just like that, the Hollows were perforated by a shower of shimmering blue light. The entirety of their bodies became pincushions for arrow after arrow, that stormed upon them like hail, but peculiarly avoided touching anything else. Not a single arrow hit the earth, not one came close to the crying boy who had been shielded, incidentally, by those who had hunted him down. Those arrows had saw fit to not only pierce the body of the afflicted, but punch straight through them, so it was that one could see the arrow tips emerge from the front of their flesh like sharpened barbs of steel. The Hollows masks, broken and shattered, fell from their wearers faces and their bodies crumpled into something even lighter than dust. "Ah, shit, too heavy", said a voice from the back of the alley. Roshan Bamshad, having come to Kyoto on business for the Stunde had found himself intervening in the duties of the Gotei 13. It was one of their core tenets that the balance of souls had to be upheld. To infringe upon that, even slightly, was grounds for execution. He ruffled his hair, and shirked his shoulders, seemingly nonplussed about the idea, but then there was rarely a thing in the world today that Roshan could take seriously. All told, he didn't expect much fuss to arise from it, so long as he kept it to a minimum. Looking over at the poor soul that was a few seconds away from pissing himself, it took all Roshan's willpower not to cry. Not out of pity or aggravation, but from amusement. He wasn't a good person, he knew that. "Jus' sit tight for a few minutes, a' Shinigami'll pick ya up", he said simply before taking his leave of the place. He wandered the busy streets of Kyoto for a while, but everywhere he went, he stood out. His clothes were a formerly stark white uniform, now caked with dirt, dust and grime that was barely covered by a tattered and worn down cloak. His blonde hair and hazel skin sure didn't do anything to help him blend in either and the stench? He hadn't bathed in a few days, at least. By the time he decided to take a break from his slow, monitored walk, he wasn't far from Kyoto university. Taking a seat in a small alcove, he drew out a plastic cup and played the role of a typical beggar. Though he didn't actually beg for anything, he simply sat there, looking downcast as the occasional passerby threw Yen into his cup. Strolling through the streets of Kyoto, Tsubaki hummed her favorite tune. Despite being a singer and songwriter herself, she would often hum the songs of other famous or deceased legendary singers as she made her way home. It was the best thing she could due to occupy her time and keep her from the gaze of those busy people in the City of Kyoto. Even as busy as the city may have seemed, Tsubaki always stood out to her fans. Her almond skin tone set her aside from the others of the city, making her relatively easy to spot. Continuing with her stroll she began to think to herself about the events that happened that day. "I remember it like it was yesterday. I could feel the power flowing through Bang and Abraham Lewinsky. All I could do was stop the other from hurting the other. It was extremely irritating to say the least, and frustrating. I seemed so useless..." Tsubaki began to clinch her fist then releasing, then clinching it again. "Ishihara-sama told me, "I gave you the power, it's up to you to awaken." What did he mean? During that time I could feel a powerful source of energy surging through my body, but I was unable to use it to potential. Should I have let that battle continue to escalate?" Tsubaki's thoughts came to a complete halt. A group of young middle schoolers all rushed over to her. Each one holding a pen and a notepad, shouting in unison. "Tsubaki! Tsubaki! Can I have your autograph?! Here sign mine first!" She smiled at the group of kids and signed each notepad individually. Before long, she had realized there were fifteen children standing in front of her, and the sun made it hard for her to focus. To the children she says, "Uh, it's really how. How about we all go for some ice cream." A smile erupted from her face, with her eyelids masking her eyes. Each child yelled back, "Yeah!". After spending a solid twenty five minutes at the ice cream shop, the children had left diligently. Following behind the children, she went left while the went right. Walking firmly with her mind set on one destination; home, she was determined to get that as soon as possible. "Woah!" Tsubaki shouted before swiftly catching her balance right before falling to her face. Turning to face what had caused her to stumble, she met a man holding out a cup. He was dressed unusual to the customs of Kyoto City. Was he a foreigner? Or was he a worshiper of some unknown religion? I mean, his uniform was kind of bright, holy to say the least. Whatever he was she knew what holding out a cup meant. Reaching into her pockets she began to pat them as if they were empty — because in fact they were. Digging through her purse, she frantically flailed around, pushing then aside until she finally found what she was looking for. She pulled out a small rectangular piece of plastic edged with various numbers and her name on it. In the lower left card it stated, "Credit Card". She squatted to the level of the man, and dropped the card into the cup. "Charge everything as credit." Reaching for his hand, she grabbed it only stop midway through. "This man, I can feel it. The same as Bang and Abraham. But, it's much more potent that theirs." Roshan would have ignored the scuffle if it were anyone else. It made sense, sitting there as he was, even if he stunk to high Heaven, people would tend to ignore him. He was "trash", not something worth considering in someone's eyes, so he faded to the background and the occasional knock against him would happen. A bump, a nudge, or a scuffle like right now. But this one was different. There was a jolt, and in an instant Roshan knew what Tsubaki was. Powerful. Her spirit resonated with the sensations of a Shinigami, but most of her essence was Human. A Substitute?, he wondered before looking up to find that his cup had now become host to a rather weighty piece of plastic. He eyed it closely, his eyes shimmering with a curious regard. Sure, there were a few coins nestled underneath the card at the bottom of the cup, but Roshan wasn't homeless in the strictest sense. A byproduct of an earlier time, he found the idea of settling down in massive cities to be pretty much alien, and the idea of hotels didn't strike his fancy. He was far more nomadic, and in a world where capitalism reigned, that didn't mean he had a lot of opportunity to make himself look prim and proper. Still, though, the gesture the girl had taken to struck him as particularly odd. He knew how credit cards worked, of course he did, but to give one away for such a simple scuffle? That was the kind of Good Samaritan nonsense his father used to preach. Done with reminiscing over plastic cards and electronic chips, Roshan rose to his feet, withdrawing the card from his cup. He twirled it between his fingers with a dexterous flair, before throwing it straight ahead. It glowed faintly with a blue light, and as a result, cut straight through the wall adjacent from the blonde-haired man. Flitting through the air of a random garden only to embed itself in a wall on the other side. Roshan's curiosity had been piqued. "Do me a favour an' go catch 'at, yeah?", he said to her, having just created his own imitation Sword in the Stone. As the man rose to his feet, and lifted his arm to draw the card, Tsubaki couldn't help but hold her breath from his stench. He was like a walking skunk, or maybe something that released a worse odor. While still in awe at his tremendous power, she watched has the horrible smelling man twirled the card she'd given to him like it was a thin piece of paper then launch it directly ahead. What grabbed her attention more than anything was in that moment it became wrapped in a blue layer of light. Just as it was coated in the layer of light, the card stabbed the wall it made contact with and was stuck there like a sword that was stabbed into someone. "Amazing..." The ebony continued to stare at the actions of the hobo, only trying to grasp what it was she saw. Her useless wondering was interrupted by the words of the blonde, directing her to go get the card he'd thrown. Turning her eyes to the man she took a deep breath and swallowed nothing air. A deep gulp showing her nervousness amplified by that fact she'd been sweating when it was only seventy degrees Fahrenheit outside. Approaching the wall where the card stuck, she could sense the potent energy vividly. It was nothing like that time when she had the rooftop rumble. Pulling the card from the wall, the analyzed the it and the energy around it. Returning it to the hobo she looked up to him. "Excuse me sir. If you don't mind me asking, what was that just now." "Please, name's Roshan", he replied instantly, almost cringing at being referred to in such a formal manner. "Y'll make m' feel real old if y' call m' sir". In truth that was little more than a cover for his bewilderment. Honestly, he'd never met someone with that amount of spiritual power that had so little awareness of it. This was basic stuff, flexing his Reiatsu as it were. How could this girl not know even that? He motioned with his finger towards the card now in Tsubaki's hand, and in the same moment conjured an invisible thread of Reiryoku that connected his digit to the piece of plastic. The card looked like it had begun levitating, slipping out of the girl's grasp and returning itself to Roshan. He took it, looked over it once again and then held it out for its owner to retrieve. "Tsubaki, huh?", he commented, having gleaned as much from her card. "Y'really don' know what I did? What are they even teachin' y' up there these days?", he shouldn't have been surprised really. For someone to have connected with his Reiryoku and not draw their sword immediately? That was the mark of a novice. Or someone who had no idea what a Quincy was. "No, Mr. Roshan. If actually knew, I promise I wouldn't be standing here asking." She placed her hands on her hip and gazed at the skies. "Ever since that day, I've been able to sense strong presences. And even see from time to time. I don't know what it is, or what it was." She paused mostly so that she could take a deep breath from the smell of the man. Dropped her hands to her side, she began to clinch on nothing the atmosphere. "Then one day, in one of my walk on classes I take with a student named Bang, we crossed paths with a religious expert, Abraham Lewinsky. Both of them had a potent presence, yet I knew they were still human. They battled each other, and their energies continued to to rise, yet it wasn't on your level. I remember Bang calling out Fullbring, or something along the lines. Abraham on the other had, his energy was similar to yours, yet he didn't say what he was." "Mr. Roshan, I assure you that they don't teach us anything that you know. AT ALL. But if you could teach me.. I promise to take good care of you. A while back, someone told me...." FLASHBACK Tsubaki's memories are visualized. There was a tall, slim, dark-skinned man, about the same tone as her if not a little bit dark. His hair a spiky mess, but brown in texture. Dressed in a unusual black attire, covered by a white haori. "I've given you the power, it is your job to awaken it." FLASHBACK END "Please, Mr. Roshan." Tsubaki dropped her head, bowing to the man. "Please teach me!" "Ah, that so, huh?", Roshan looked at her pleading with some small manner of discomfort. He never liked posturing, though it had been one of his favourite tools to get under the skin of people who did. Seeing a girl at this age bowing to him, though, it didn't sit right. He was a thousand-year old has-been, washed up and waiting to die. And here was this kid throwing herself at him in an act of prostration as if he was somehow worthy of it. He ran a hand through his messy locks and let out a sigh. Her offer wasn't a bad one, though. She had a funny way of phrasing it, considering their differences in apparent social standing. More than her offer to treat him, however, it was the prospect of teaching someone that was so very clearly a novice Shinigami that presented the most appealing point for him. He was a man that had seen and done everything that he could have ever set out to do, lived a full life and earned himself a place with his brothers in the next life. Though, his Quincy powers kept him in this life, he was able to find himself amusement in the strange quirks and anomalies of the world. Like a Quincy, someone despised and hated for their threat to the balance, teaching a Shinigami, those charged with the sacred duty of protecting that very balance. If this were any other situation, he would've laughed at the chance openly. Here, he would have to play the part he had accidentally molded for himself. "Lift yer head kid, an' let's get it straight, its jus' Roshan, right, 'am not mister, or sir, or sensei, just Roshan", he figured he could've just said it straight, but chastising is what teachers did, right? That's how he'd taught all of his other students anyway. Lifting her head with utter swiftness, she rose faster than those that rose from the dead. In fact, it she move so fast that Roshan would feel the gust of wind pushing against him. Smashing her hands together, while holding a high head, she stated, "Thank, Mr. Roshan!" She knew that by his final sentence, even though it wasn't directly stated, that he would indeed take her in as his student. In all honest, calling one by a title was simply out of respect. Her mother and father, while plaguing most of their time into the family business, did a great job at teaching her how to respect others. Tsubaki truly had no idea what this man was capable of, she doesn't know if he is allied with that evil that forces ghosts to run away in fear. Or if he were truly going to train her. She knew one thing; his power was not fluke and that was more than enough to trust him. She was naive indeed. The Petty Teacher Arriving at the home of Tsubaki, she and Roshan approached the door. To say it was a house would be a complete understatement. It was a mansion, on land that her father, Ryō had bought eleven years ago. The pathway leading to the door was filled with bush sculptures, each bushing mimicking a member of the direct family: Tsubaki, Ryō, her mother, and another man. Two large water fountains sat at the ends of the pathway sprouting water that would find itself falling back to the bottom of the bowl only to repeat the cycle. Unlike the usual doors that possess a nob and key, this one did not. In place of the two was a small screen, almost the size of the tablet Tsubaki keeps with her. On the screen were a bunch of green lines that went both vertically and horizontally. Placing her hand on the screen, she paused for a few seconds. "Access granted. Welcome home, Tsubaki." A voice from the screen states, just as the door began to open. One would dwell into detail of the house, but that would take extremely too long. Instead she led Roshan up a series of stairs, down a long hallway. "Father doesn't come up stairs much. So whether I told him you were here or not, wouldn't even matter much. Besides, I think he's out on a meeting today." Again, Tsubaki went on with the useless babbling. Stopping at a room with the door shut titled, "Guest Room", she opened it. "This is the room you will be using. Please, get a comfortable as you'd like. Feel free to take a shower as well! There's your own personal restroom in the room." She stated that last sentence with a bit more emphasis. "If not, I'll drag you in there and bathe you myself!" She giggled, joking with Roshan knowing good-and-well she could not defeat him in any way. "Hey, Sara!" Tsubaki shouted throughout the room. "Yes, Miss. Tsubaki?" A voice over some sort of communication device called back. "Make sure, Roshan-sensei gets everything he needs. He's our guest." "I understand. Would you like for me to relay this information to Sir. Ryō?" "If you do or don't won't make much of a difference. So it's all up to you." After she short conversation between herself and Sara, Tsubaki turned her attention to Roshan. "If you need anything call on Sara and she'll bring it to you. I will, on the other hand, be working on my vocals until you're ready. Oh, and my room is towards the end, the only door at the center. Adios!" "Well 'at was a little quicker 'n' I'd've liked", said Roshan to himself rather quietly, realising that he had been left in the hallway alone. He meandered away into the room that he had been given and took relatively quick stock of the place. He didn't waste much time with it, instead preferring to get on with things. In a matter of moments he had undressed, got a couple of towels and plunged himself into a warm bath. In the midst of his soak, he had taken to passively toying with a small rubber ducky that floated atop the water, meanwhile contemplating just how he could tackle the training of his new "student". "First things first, 'a'll need to get 'er into soul form". The girl was Human, he knew that much, and thus his first hurdle was bringing her soul out of her body. A field in which he was by no means an expert. As he pondered, he remembered the old wives tales of how a strong enough blow could knock the spirit right out of someone. It was a fairly common belief in Japan, so he was sure Tsubaki would agree without question. An arrow made of steel manifested before him and he immediately knew how he'd go about it. The smirk on his grin was telling, it wasn't going to be pleasant. When he was done, he was quick to head for Tsubaki's room, one towel wrapped around his waist and the other resting over his head, almost like a shirtless nun. He knocked, then opened the door without waiting for permission. "'ey kid, y'got a garden we can use?" When she passed through the doors to her room, she shut it tight. Launching her purse onto the bed, she sat behind a computer screen and placed a pair of headphones on her head. She closed her eyes and erased herself from the face of "Earth". Her head began to slowly rock back and forth then slowly her body followed as well. "Hello, what's up Grandmother?! Still got memories of me and Mother laughing at you eating..." Her voicing radiating throughout the room singing the tune that followed the beat going through the headphones. Then slowly snapping her fingers to the beat, Tsubaki's arms began to move as well, then before she knew it she had begun dancing. "Ooooohhhh ohhhh.... And IIIIIIIIII," Her voice now high, transitioning perfectly between the two styles. "I, will always loooovee, youuu ooooohhh yeah." It was obvious, obvious to the people that ran around the house frequently what it was she had been singing. It was her favorite song, written by her favorite female artist. Turning around opposite of the computer, she saw Roshan. He stood in the doorway, not actually entering the room, but without knocking it was still considered an act of treason. "Akkkk!" She shouted throwing the headphones from over her ears onto the bed. "R-Roshan-sama, please put something on... Like over your entire body! Well, honestly... As long as you showered, I don't mind what you wear." Regaining her composure she sighed. "Well, we have a garden, but I don't think father would want us there. But, by garden, I'll take it upon myself to say you mean a place to call training ground?" "There's a facility my father used to train in. It's actually like the outside. It's downstairs in the basement. Or if that doesn't fit your taste, I think I have something that will." "If'n y'don' mind, why'd y' bring it up?", this girl was certainly a perplexing sort for Roshan. So open with what was on her mind, but also so prone to second guessing. Or that's how it looked to him at any rate. It didn't matter none, he could teach as well in his uniform as he could a pair of towels. Besides, it was doubtful there'd be anything within the household that fit him, Roshan was a little taller than most Japanese men, and donning his old clothes would have defeated the purpose of bathing. The garden, basement, and a mystery locale. Those were his presented choices. Roshan preferred the open air, recalling the nostalgia surrounding his own training in far flung memories, but the basement would be more discreet, an immense benefit if they ever got far enough in this regimen for them to be throwing anything particularly grandiose around. "Basement sounds like the best idea, lead the way", he said, making his choice with only a little contemplation behind it. Shinigami were odd, and unpredictable, so it was best to play it safe. The old man had half a mind to tell the kid to surprise him with her mystery lot, but he'd walked into enough innuendo today. "Maybe I shouldn't stress about what he's wearing so much. As long as it doesn't come off, we should be perfectly fine." After hearing Roshan's words, Tsubaki stepped around him exiting the room. "Sara, take care of Roshan-sama's clothes for me. Follow me." She stated, as she began to head down the hallway towards the stairs. "I will, Miss. Tsubaki" Taking it that Roshan followed her through the maze that Kurogane family considered a "home", she reached a regular door. Unlike the more technological door like that one that was used as the entrance to the house, this one was rather...normal. Reaching for the nob Tsubaki twisted it slowly, pushed against it and opened the door. At first glance, one would think as though they woere passing through the country side. It was a land filled hardened dust with many boulders all around, both large and small. Towards the left was a small section, separate from the dust bowl that contained a small portion of grass. In the same area were many different training weights and water bottles. "This is it Roshan-sama. My father's old training grounds." "This is somethin' alright", Roshan remarked with no small amount of surprise in his tone. He had expected the usual setting, a decrepit old room stacked with old boxes and junk the family had forgotten. Maybe a workbench or two for the dad's pet projects, but to be graced with this transformed place. Clearly the Kurogane family was something connected to the spiritual world even before Tsubaki had tangled with a Shinigami. Should'a figured, he though to himself. "I guess a' know where y' get it from now, huh?" He walked out into the dusty area, relatively free from the obstructions that were strewn about on the grass and turned back towards Tsubaki. His toes jittered uncomfortably, feeling the dirt beneath and catching between them. Roshan's face was positively deadpan, despite the little dance his feet were putting on. "Alright kid, turn aroun' an' close yer eyes", he ordered, almost menacing with the way he sounded. He was eager to try out the hypothesis he'd come upon in the tub. Tsubaki wondered what Roshan had been speaking about. She wasn't quite sure of what he meant when he said what he had said. Yet, she knew not to question his demand, so she followed exactly what he had said. Taking a few steps to create an extremely small gap between the two she turned her back towards him. Thinking to herself, "Well, here goes. I can't back down now.". Roshan took another look around the environment they had picked for their little training session. He wasn't sure of the girl's history, but it was pretty obvious why she had the power that she did now. Her parents were probably something beyond the norm themselves, and that had been passed onto her. A ripe target to be given that rare opportunity for a Human Shinigami, having them run into his lap, though, that was something else. He let out a light chuckle at that fact before drawing upon his surroundings. Scraps of blue light fluttered in from the air, gathering upon a single point that then converted into the long limbs of his how. Forged entirely out of a shimmering steel, it was clearly a longbow by its size, and too ornate to be a regular weapon given the wing-styled limbs it possessed. There was no string, until Roshan fashioned one out of energy, anyway. It hovered there, and then the string pulled back, all without its summoner doing anything of his own. He stood there, perfectly still. The only motion to escape him was the faint dripping of water droplets running off of the ends of his hair, or the tips of his fingers. When the bow had drawn all the way back, an arrow made its appearance. At first it was the same as the bow, made out of a gleaming metallic construct, but Roshan realised that that would have been too much. Don' wanna kill 'er now, do a'?, the steel came off, like old paint scraping from a wall, leaving behind an arrow of blue light that made a hum akin to breezing wind. "See y' on the other side, kiddo", he gave a quaint farewell. Raising his hand for a mock goodbye, which signaled his bow to loose its shot. It covered the short distance between them near instantaneously, spinning through the air like a drill. It was barely a micrometre away from Tsubaki's neck when the blue bolt's shape collapsed and exploded into a roar of concussive force. It was an old Japanese wives tale, that if you hit someone hard enough you could knock the spirit right out of them. Disconnecting the body from the soul such that it could drift off to Heaven if left unattended. Catching the words of Roshan at the least moment, Tsubaki turned to question the man. "Wait, what do you mean the other-" Her eyes widened to the oncoming arrow ripping through the atmosphere coming to a half right before colliding with her face. Just in the moment she thought she was saved, an explosion occurred. For a second there she had lost consciousness. "Was I betrayed?", "Am I dead?" This along with a few other thoughts ran through her head like a flowing river. It took a moment for her to realize, but once she did she shrieked. Clinching her fist, she could see that she was well alive... Or so she thought. Her body was covered in a with a katana resting on her hip. Tsubaki knew for sure she hadn't put this outfit on herself, and it was suspecious to her of course. Fixing her face to the area directly ahead of her there stood Roshan. "Roshan-sama! What did you do?" Even while questoining Roshan she continued to survey the outfit she'd been wearing, and while inspecting it she noticed someone underneath her. "Wait, is that me!?" "Who th' 'ell gave y', yer powers?", Roshan asked, not to Tsubaki specifically but of the air around him. His tone was relaxed, though it hinted at a deeper frustration with the whole thing. "Whatever moron did 'is, didn't even bother to explain?" He sighed, ruffling at his hair again through the towel draped over his head. He really was going to have to start from the basics then. This sucks, he thought. "Shinigami, folk like m'self, we're spirits; normal folk can't see us 'cause 'ey don't 'ave th' power for it", he started with the facts that even someone so unaware of the spiritual realm should have come to realise by now. Few people could see the dead, and the dead tended to stand out amongst a crowd. "Y' were th' only one to notice me today, 'cause y' 'ave 'at power. Ordinarily, 'at's all y'd get, but some idiot turned y' into a Shinigami-a'-sorts", as he'd been speaking, the half-naked Quincy meandered over to Tsubaki's unconscious Human form and took her into his own arms, lifting her up. His explanation continued as he carried her away from her new ghostly counterpart. "Deep down yer still Human, but yer soul ain't as connected to yer body as it used t' be, so a' was able to free it int' yer soul form", he put the lifeless girl down, placing her against a large boulder. He'd placed her sitting neatly and upright, and motioned towards the other Tsubaki so that she could see her physical body wasn't exactly dead. She continued to breath, as if she were in the midst of a deep sleep. "Teachin' y' everythin' would be a pain, frankly its kinda beyond me too", Roshan moved away from the sleeping girl and returned to his earlier perch. Making sure to neatly step into the very same spot where his foot prints laid, and of course, his toes began twitching once again. "But a' can show y' how t' use that sword there", he said with some enthusiasm. At the same time he drew his own weapon. How it had been hidden in the towel that tightly wrapped around his waist was anyone's guess, but the blade was surely something to behold. An unusual construct of modular parts made out of a shimmering silver. Its body was hollowed out and almost toy-esque, it even lacked a blade. "'is 'ere is a Zanpakutō, the one y' got there has yet to awaken like mine has, so it looks like a normal katana", he was lying through his teeth of course. In actuality, he was wielding his custom Seele Wyrger, an advancement on the Quincy Seele Schneider. Made all the more obvious when he started to draw in Reishi from his surroundings causing the weapon to "wake up". The modular parts of it shifted slightly into a more proper shape and the once hollowed out areas were all filled with blue light forged into the shape of a giant blade. The edges of it vibrated noticeably and a loud hum now filled the air. He held it up to give Tsubaki to give her a clear view of his weapon. "'cha think, is 'is what y' want?" Master's First Lesson Starring at her own lifeless body, it was like looking at an herself as she was stuck in an illusion. At first she didn't know if she should even trust Roshan's words. "I mean I'm dead, but I'm not dead." Remembering the words of Roshan she reached for the sword Roshan called a Zanpakutō. "So, this is the blade Ishihara-sama was using when he forced those guys to flee?" FLASHBACK Standing in her flashback was a brown-haired man donning a white haori. "You're nothing more than a pest." The man spoke out to the other wearing an eye patch. He reached for the blade sitting on his waist. "Amatsu Tenrairyū is not some type of bug repellent. His full power won't even be needed for you. Roar, Amatsu Tenrairyū." FLASHBACK END Tsubaki swung her blade aimlessly in the air. "Yes, Mr. Roshan." She answered his question as clearly as possible. "Of course, it's too late to turn back now." "Good, good", Roshan replied favourably to her answer. There was a light smirk upon his face as he came to realise what would have to happen next. His free hand rose up to his neck, passively rubbing away at his muscles as if to undo some kind of kink. The other playfully tossed around that massive chunk of silver and blue before he dropped it to the floor, allowing it to limply hit the ground with a resounding shudder. Despite its appearance, Roshan's "Zanpakutō" weighed a ton, and it spoke well of his strength that he could lug it around so easily. Of course that should have come as no surprise by now, as he stood there in his relative state of undress. He looked like a hobo, all dressed up in garish, ragged clothes with a messy, unkempt mop on his head and face. But for all that his body was incredibly well trained, a physique of perfect muscles that clashed incredibly against the image the man portrayed. "There are a few ways t' handle this kinda trainin'; meditatin', talkin', theorycraftin', 'am sure someone's figured out how t' jus' program it into folk by now, too", he passively listed the ways by which one could train their Shinigami powers and awaken a Zanpakutō. Counting them out one by one with his relatively lanky fingers. "The quickest one, though, is an experience a' life an' death", he withdrew the towel that had been resting on his head all this time as his words took on a bit more of an ominous tone. As the cloth dropped down, his expression changed. What was before a lazy-looking gaze had become something vicious, the eyes of a killer worn atop a menacing grin. It was a blink or miss it moment, too, as the half-naked Quincy vanished in a blur of motion only to re-appear inches away Tsubaki. He was stood in the air, in the midst of a motion. A blurring kick aimed right at her spine intent on sending the poor girl flying. At the moment his Zanpakutō smashed against the surface, the ground began to quake just a little. This caused Tsubaki's heart to skip a beat. After staring in amazement at the tremendous weight of the blade Roshan wielding, Tsubaki just had to say something. "Roshan-sama... You seriously wield such a blade?" She was cut off by the Quincy's continuous speaking. "Training does seem logical." She spoke out to Roshan. "Talking, I don't see it getting us no where." Just as Roshan counted on his fingers, Tsubaki followed his style, yet for the last three he spoke of, she flipped her fingers down. Only leaving the one that represented training up. She memorized every word Roshan had said and imprinted into her brain. It was indeed a lecture from her teacher, and as a star student at her University, it was only second nature. "If that's the case, Roshan-senpai, it'd seem best if we went down the road of training." Her idea came to a halt at her next option. "Life or death?" She repeated this thought, going over all of the possibilities in her head. It seemed as though Tsubaki had been taking too long to think. The grin on Roshan's face caught her attention instantly, and as she tried to process what had already been said Roshan had already dashed at her at full speed. Drawing her blade from her sheath, swung it at the incoming kick of Roshan. His foot collided with her blade, but his strength was obviously superior and pushed her back a great distance. Sent flying back, Tsubaki's black collided with the weights used by her father. She laid in the rubble, and her face poured in red wine blood. In comparison to the blow he had dealt with only his foot, the sword that had clashed against him had left nary a scratch on his bare flesh. There wasn't a visible mark on him at all, not the sharp cut of steel or the redness of pressure. Tsubaki had a great deal of spiritual power, Roshan could clearly sense that much, but evidently that energy was unhoned and so when she clashed with a power like his that had been trained over a thousand years, it was obvious who'd come out on top. Of course, a one-sided clash like that made for poor training. "Ah, crap 'a thought 'a 'ad it 'at time". Inwardly the blonde-haired Quincy was deriding himself. Ostensibly, he was retired, having long since given up his mantle as an active combatant. Now he largely played babysitter as the Quincy of the new age strutted their stuff. Having gotten rusty, he was largely left with two states, too strong or too weak. Finesse, precise control, it had gotten beyond him as he'd become out of practice. It was a struggle to give the perfect amount of energy to achieve something when he could just go all out an ensure success. In a sense, that made this session a form of training for him too. A breath of fresh air, one could say. "Get up kid, ghosts are made a' sterner stuff 'n' 'at", he beckoned of the fallen girl, sure she was still alive. He stood there, steps above the ground making himself a floating target. He wanted her to come at him, sword or no. "Tch." Tsubaki laid in the rubble thinking. "I don't know why I'd have thought that his training would be easier than sword practice." Reaching to her left wrist she pulling off a rubber band. Grabbing most of her hair, she made a circle with her fingers and wrapped her hair into a ponytail. Emerging from the rubble, she used the swords' edge to stand to her feet. "I never knew you were that powerful, Roshan-sama." Dashing at Roshan with her blade directly in front of her, she aiming it right at his left shouter. Hoping to pierce him with such a linear move. "Nn? 'is ain't nothin' kid", Roshan replied languidly. As if to show her exactly what he meant, he intercepted the sword strike with his bare hand, allowing the thrust to hit right against the centre of his palm. The tip of the blade couldn't even pierce his flesh, as if it was clashing against steel rather than soft skin. The reason was simple, Tsubaki's Reiatsu was unfocused. She was spiritually strong enough to have been a threat, in fact, in a matter of physical strength she'd probably be stronger than himself. Or so he surmised. But so long as it remained unhoned, she was little more than a baby before him. A child no more fit to do anything other than be tossed around by the forces of the world. As her "teacher" it was his job to train her, of course. But training someone to control their Reiatsu was a long and arduous task. One that Roshan wasn't particularly fit for, as in the end, he was a Quincy and the means by which he wielded his Reiatsu was fundamentally different from that of a Shinigami. Thus this training had to be centered around unlocking the power of the girl's Zanpakutō, and in so doing, provide her with a more apt teacher. As if affirming his purpose, he quickly moved his hand out to grip the sword by its edge, and pulled it towards himself, aiming to pull Tsubaki along with it. If he achieved as much, the next step was to use his free hand to deliver an incredibly powerful punch to her stomach, one backed up by the power of . As Roshan would pull on the sword, Tsubaki who gripped her blade everso tightly would too be pulled towards him. At the point of her initial flight she thought that Roshan wouldn't do anymore than flip her over on her back. Oh, but was she wrong. Before she knew it, his fist had already made contact with the centre of her stomach. Could she have avoided it? Of course. Though, because she her mind was so clogged up by the thoughts of what Roshan would do, she lost sight of the true battle happening in the physical realm. "Gah!" From her shouting mouth she spat out small fountain of blood. Had Roshan's hand still been implanted in her stomach, his arm would become the canvas painted in the crimson blood of Tsubaki. "That was no ordinary punch.." She thought to herself, fading in and out of consciousness. The only reason she truly still stood tall was because Roshan had been holding her blade. "Listen t' th' wind, kid, a whisper, tiniest voice y'll ever hear", he withdrew slightly as he spoke. Removing his fist from the poor girl's stomach to examine his arm that had been drenched in a thin layer of crimson. So much for the shower, he mused to himself. "Nigglin' in th' back a' yer head, it wants y' t'know its name", he was speaking of course, of the Zanpakutō that was so thoroughly being used against her at the moment. The moment the soul migrated to the blade, it would begin the process of communing with its master. How long it took for them to figure it out and respond differed from person to person, but in his line of work, Roshan had come to learn that you could accelerate such a process with just the right amount of... Encouragement. Completing that thought, he dropped into a spin and aimed to swing a kick into Tsubaki's stomach, in the same place he had just punched her; knowing all too well just how sensitive such an area would be after having already being struck. "I can't even make out what he's saying." The blood, her thick crimson red blood, marinated into the her shihakushō garbs. With her hand that had been free, she wiped her mouth. Slowly standing to her feet, struggling to maintain her balance, she began to think about the words of Roshan. Holding her blade at her side, she thought of many ways to attempt and devise a plan that would allow her to develop a way so that she could unlock her true potential. The man that had given her the powers told her, she would have to unlock them on her own. "I've opened the path, but you must walk it alone." She thought this to herself, in substitution of what he had truly said. Closing her eyes, escaping from the threshold of the world, Tsubaki began to focus on herself and her blade. Unknowingly pouring her reiatsu into the sword, forcefully trying to open the gates to her powers. "No... no... no... You're doing it all wrong Tsubaki Kurogane." Quickly opening her eyes, Tsubaki had been struck in the same area as before. The kick from Roshan has sent her flying right back into the same she had been lying in once before. "What was that?" She thought, referring to the voice in her head. The Persian Quincy was quick to notice the change in his contemporary, the rudimentary attempt to focus her Reiatsu into her blade and the far more subtle outreach of the blade's own energy in its attempt to commune with her. He noticed not only the attempt, but its gripping success. It wouldn't be long now, and for a moment a thought occurred to him. If he was a "true" Quincy, this would have been the point he turned things around. Turning an unorthodox training session into a reservoir of fear. He could turn on her, just as hope set in and claim her life, forever preventing the Shinigami from gaining the next valiant recruit. But he was retired, and he had committed to that, no matter how much of a facade that happened to be in reality. So the thought quickly passed, having been little more than idle. "Little more kiddo, keep pushin'", he encouraged blithely, his tone and his gestures standing at odds with his body language which was very much that of a predator about to strike its prey. Very much so, he was on her again. He had appeared over her with a burst of Hirenkyaku, and his fist came down like a hammer intent on squeezing every last modicum of air from her lungs. "It's fine Tsubaki. It's only natural you don't know what you're doing." Tsubaki's head rang of a unknown voice. It seemed as though Tsubaki had completely removed herself from the physical plain. Rather than just having a conscious, she had actually been within in. It was dark, she couldn't see a single thing. Had she ever made fun of the blind once before, she would know be getting a taste of karma. But that wasn't the case right now. In fact, Tsubaki had never made fun of the blind. So what was this darkness? She had nothing to go off of except for the voice radiating. "Who's there?!" She finally yelled back. "Who's there, you ask?! I know you better than your own parents, how dark you!" The voice growled back. "I am the power within you." "The what?" "I won't talk to much, I'll just have to show you, Tsubaki-kun. Repeat these words, and I'll prove it to you..." Tsubaki had finally reached the real world plain again. Only to her dismay attacked again by Roshan. By the judgement of this attack, it was stronger than both of the attacks launched earlier. With each punch, kick, and swing it seemed as though he had been increasing their power. Before Roshan would have completed his kick, Tsubaki's crimson eyes found themselves a monstrous glare. Remembering the word she had been assigned to repeat. "Incinerate!" She yelled to the top of her lungs, almost in the same density as a screech from a Dragon. Her immediate vicinity became shrouded in flames. Had Roshan proceeded with his assault, he would surely not go unharmed. Or so she thought. Sensing the build up that led to the explosion, Roshan had stopped in his tracks, using Hirenkyaku to carry him away from the amassing blaze. He wasn't quick enough to avoid it entirely however, as such one could clearly see a giant ball of flame travelling away from Tsubaki. The flame dissipated and Roshan came to a halt, seemingly none the worse for wear. The towels he wore, on the other hand, had become frayed and burnt across their edges. Even a tip of his hair had been singed. He was quick to put that out with a dab of his fingers, though. "Haha! Now 'at's more like it, kiddo!", he cheered with obvious jubilance. Mentally he was adding this accomplishment to a checklist of sorts. It wasn't everyday a Quincy got to teach a Shinigami of all things how to use their powers. No doubt Ishida would be proud, though he doubted most other Quincy would share the sentiment. always such tight asses, he thought. "Wanna keep goin', or d'ya wanna take a break?", he asked, taking his pupil's weariness into account. She'd made amazing strides in such a short time, but all she had done was awaken the power. She still didn't know how to use it. Yet. Shortly the flames withered away, and Tsubaki's face was drenched in sweat. As all of it had been going on, she was stuck in awe at the situation. This was mythical - something only those in some sort of a story book would be able to truly witness. Letting out a light chuckle, Tsubaki faced her teacher. He had been nearly naked, the towel that once lived, had been burnt to a crisp. "Sorry Roshan-sama. But I think I'll call it a day for now." Holding the palm of her hand out at Roshan as though she had been covering his lower body, she revealed a series of burn markings. "Even though I've gain this power, it seems a bit too much for me. Besides, I still have homework and a bit more of rehearsals." "Alright, break it is", he replied with a tone of expectation. He had been rather forceful through out this whole thing. But that was part of the fun, and he couldn't deny having enjoyed himself. "Jus' go lie down on top a' yer body over there, ya'll wake back up 'n' a snap", he explained as he began making his own way toward the exit. Tag Along Back in her room the young ebony found herself streaking the paper with her pencil. She tried to hold back the pain it took to write with her hand being burnt. "What was that feeling.." Tsubaki couldn't do anything but allow what happened earlier to consistently replay in her head. "In just that moment, I felt like I could do a lot." Closing her notebook, she turned to the piano sitting behind her desk. "I could rehearse, but I think I could manage and wait until the morning." Turning to her bed she headed towards it, and began to lay down. She'd been in her night gown, indicating she'd already taken her shower since the skip. "I wonder what Roshan-sama will be doing while I'm at school tomorrow. He's pretty unpredictable."